An American Family History

Smith-Cross Cemetery is located near Piney Flats on private property at Boone Lake, Tennessee

John Smith and Catharine Humphreys married on Sepember 4, 1808 in Sullivan County, Tennessee.

They owned 100 acres between John Rhea and McCaland. The Smith homestead, "where John and Kate ("Granny") Smith, the grandparents of Geo. W. Smith, at one time resided, being hard by the old Devault school house, and about two miles S.W. from the mouth of Beaver Creek, on the south side of Holston River."

Their family Bible handed down through the David Smith family recorded the births of their children. They were Lutherans.

Mary Ann Smith was born January 10, 1809. Mary Ann died young.

George Washington Smith was born March 26, 1810.

Elizabeth (Bettie) Smith Deck was born June 21, 1812.

John Smith appeared in the 1812 tax list of Sullivan County.

John Humphreys Smith was born December 22, 1813.

King Henry Smith was born November 17, 1815.

Polly Eliza Smith Webb was born October 10, 1817.

Prince David Smith was born June 6, 1819.

Nancy Ann Cross Smith Massengil was born December 7, 1820.

Samuel Rhea Smith was born December 13, 1822.

Josiah Smith (Sy, Scy) was born August 8, 1825.

William Hart Smith was born April 12, 1827. William died young.

John died on March 10 1829, leaving Catharine to raise the children herself.

In 1830 Catherine appeared as head of household in the census of Sullivan County, Tennessee. The household consisted of:

a woman between 40 and 49-Catharine
a man between 20 and 29- George age 20
two boys between 15 and 19- John age 17 and Henry age 15
two boys and a girl between 10 and 14-Polly age 13, David age 11
two boys and a girl between 5 and 9-Nancy age 9, Sam age 8
two boys under 5- Josiah age 4 and William age 3

In August, 1830, Catherine's father said that he lived with John and Catherine in Sullivan County.

Polly married James Webb about 1836. John Humphreys married Malinda Matthews about 1839.

The family was still in Sullivan in 1840. The household consisted of

a woman between 50 and 59-Catharine
a man between 30 and 39-George
a woman and two men between 20 and 29-David age 21, Polly age 23, Henry age 25 or John 27
a girl and a boy between 15 and 19-Sam age 18 and Nancy age 19
a boy between 10 and 14-Josiah age 14

Nancy Ann married John Massengil about 1840. Henry married in 1841 and located in Greene County. David married Julia Powell in 1842 and Samuel married Martha Cross about the same time. They moved to Missouri. Elizabeth married Simon Deck about 1845.

In 1847 Josiah enlisted in the Mexican War. Nancy died in 1849. Polly died before the 1850 census.

At the time of the 1850 census, Catherine was living with the Simon Deck family. John and Henry were in Greene County, Josiah was in Meigs County.

During the Civil War, Josiah was in the 5th Regiment of the Tennessee Volunteers. The Massengil boys, Felty and John were both Confederate soldiers. Felty died in 1862 of fever before the battle of Shiloh. Henry was on the side of the Union.

In 1860, 1870, and 1880 Catherine lived with the Deck family in Blountville. They also raised Dr. John D. Masengill whose son said

This was during the period of Reconstruction when the South was prostrated on account of the Civil War, and he held in grateful remembrace the help his grandmother, Catherine Smith gave him during this formative period of his life. Catherine Smith's husband, John Smith, had been a soldier under General Jackson in the War of 1812, and the small pension she received on account of his service furnished her a little money when there was scarcely any at all in the country.

Catherine died on July 3, 1881. She was buried with her husband in the Smith-Cross Cemetery in Sullivan County.